Archive for the ‘Go Negosyo sa Radyo’ Category

Wrapping up the month of February, Go Negosyo sa Radyo hosts DJ Cheska San Diego-Bobadilla and Sen. Bam Aquino were joined by previous Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs awardees Delby Bragais, fashion designer and owner of Delby Bragais Bridal, Donna Jiao, President of XC Manufacturing and Trading Enterprise, Yoling Sevilla, President and CEO of The Leather Collection Inc., in an episode featuring exceptional enterprises by empowered women.

Delby Bragais owner of Delby Bragais Bridal, is an award-winning fashion designer, a multi- awarded and internationally certified image consultant, a sought-after speaker, an inspiring workshop leader a published author, and one of Go Negosyo 2016 Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs. From being in a business of ‘changing the looks’ she has expanded to ‘changing the lives’ through the creation of an image training consultancy division, Image Designers
International wherein she leads customized workshops and speaks on image strategy and people branding.

Donna Jiao of XC Manufacturing the leading exporter of jewelry in Bulacan, started as a helper of her mother in their pawnshop at the age of 12. At the early age of sixteen she was married. The need to provide for her family urged her to think of ways to provide for them. Having the experience, skills, and creativity on jewelry design she acquired from her younger days, she decided to start her own jewelry business. Today, her venture has garnered many top socialites and members of the elite both in the Philippines and outside the country. Donna was also one of Go Negosyo’s 2014 Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs.

Yoling Sevilla is the President and CEO of The Leather Collection Inc. a 27-year old company, which successfully found its niche in the corporate gifts market with their genuine leather products. Prior to founding the business, Yoling and her husband ran a printing business which then evolved to a design business. For years, the company has been providing sustainable livelihoods to marginalized women communities. They have also partnered with indigenous women in Sibaltan, North Palawan and Bagobo tribe in Southern Mindanao, who were able to marry their ancient weaving techniques to their leather products.

COPING WITH COPY-CATS
With the fast-paced fashion industry of seemingly similar looking products, Sen. Bam Aquino asked how companies like them are able stand out from competitors and copy-cats in the industry. Delby shared her experience in designing for clients only to have her designs imitated with cheaper service. These imitated designs never look how they should look. She believes what makes her stand out is the value added to her crafts, “It’s extra styling and image consulting, so I’m merging the two – consultancy and fashion,” she said.

For Yoling, it lies in the price quality ratio. “It has to be the right price and the quality must be visibly better than others,” she said. While it is vital to step up your craft’s quality, it is also important to be matched with the right customers and be able to differentiate between serious buyers and those who just wants to imitate designs,” she said.

In the case of Donna, being in the jewelry business makes it harder to imitate her products. She shared that customers are willing to pay. “They don’t mind buying and paying for the right price, because they know the quality,” she said.

IS THERE ENOUGH MARKET FOR HIGH-END PRODUCTS?
Given the rather high-end products they offer, Sen. Bam Aquino asked the guests if there are still enough discerning customers for their products in the country.

“Marami. Kasi we’re Asians we love real things, we want to wear gold and diamonds and other precious stones, they want to wear that,” answered Donna.

Delby agreed emphasizing the importance of knowing your audience “There is a target market
that still want quality and are willing to pay the price.”

SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

To wrap up the episode, Sen. Bam asked the guests a question from the studio audience: “Ano ang hubog ng inyong inspiration?”

She further emphasized the importance of shared values ang integral human development, these for her are more important among other things because they should be treated not as mere employees but as partners in life.

In Delby’s case, her inspiration lies in her passion. “Celebrate your individuality, go for your purpose, what drives you, your passion, and that will lead you to prosperity.”

This year’s set of Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs will be awarded on March 6, 2018 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. For more info., please call (02) 631-5001 or email filipinasummit.gonegosyo@gmail.com.

On February 21, 2018, Go Negosyo sa Radyo hosts DJ Cheska San Diego-Bobadilla and Sen. Bam Aquino were joined by Evelyn Daytao of Daytao Native Cakes, Lydia Lomibao of House of Pili, and Josie See of Peanut World in a discussion with some of the inspiring Filipinas who have made it in the food industry.

It is no secret that Filipinos love food, whether its a large buffet meal or a simple pica-pica. This makes the food industry a very attractive area to venture in. As DJ Cheska said, one could never go wrong in the food business. To which Sen. Bam agreed because indeed the snacking culture is ingrained in many Filipinos.

In this episode, three inspiring women entrepreneurs shared their experiences in managing their own food business born out of the combination of perseverance and passion.

Lydia Lomibao is a staunch advocate of pili nuts – regarded as ‘King of Nuts’ by foreigners for its distinctive softness and buttery taste. She established J.Emmanuel Pastries ‘The House of Pili’ together with her husband with the meager amount of P500 from their last remaining wedding money. They started making pili tarts with this and delivered them to downtown stores in Naga City. Today, through their perseverance and aide from local government agencies, the business has now grown to become a multi-awarded and Bicol’s leading pili nut processor and exporter of pili. In 2017, Lydia was awarded as one of the Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs in the micro-small entrepreneur category.

Daytao’s Native Cakes owned by former OFW Evelyn Daytao started when she decided to join one of her town’s annual activities ‘Tarlac Kakanin Festival,’ which she won twice. Eventually the judges from Tarlac’s LGU encouraged her to start her own business. With the support of the local government she established Daytao’s Native Cakes, using locally sourced raw materials as ingredients for her delicacies. Evelyn was also one of the 2017 Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs Awardees in the micro-small entrepreneur category.

Josie See, is the woman behind Peanut World – home of delicious nuts currently with over 80 branches nationwide. Josie started as a practicing optometrist for two years. Even back then, she already loved eating peanuts, being a regular in one of the nearby peanut stalls in her office. After a while she noticed the limited choices of peanut flavors. This gave her the idea of conceptualizing her own business which led to the establishment of the very first Peanut World Cart, located in Ever Gotesco Grand Central. With the success of the first store, she began to expand her business by applying in various SM Supermalls. Josie was one of the Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs of 2015.

ON BEING A WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR

When asked if juggling between being both a woman and an entrepreneur is difficult, Lydia said it is not. Between men and women, she stated that women are more flexible. “Ito talaga ang what is best in me, napakaflexibleko. I can always balance everything,” she said.

For Evelyn, a single mother with one child, it was not so easy. Her early days in the business, include going from building to building to sell her delicacies to whoever would be interested to buy. She shared that her previous job as an OFW became a stepping stone for her business. There she learned the ability to accomplish many things at once, which has proven to be very helpful in doing her business today.

Josie on the other hand emphasized that a woman’s mother instinct and heart is one of the advantages of being a woman entrepreneur. “Ako ang nalalapitan ng mga empleyado kapag may problema,” she shared.

EMOTIONS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

One of the main prejudices against women in the business industry is the tendency of their emotions to get in the way. Our guests were asked how they handle them in terms of doing business.

For Josie, it’s a continuous learning process with emotions. Even though at time it may get to you, what’s important is how you address it. “Pag may mistake ako pinag-iisipan ko kung pano nangyari ito, maybe kasi naging ganito ang attitude ko,” she shared.

Emotions were never a problem for Lydia. “Sa business kasi lagi ko nang sineset aside na ‘hold on to your emotions’ ibig sabihin kung magiging emotional ka lang naman baka wala kayong ma achieve,” she said. Lydia further emphasized how crying over spilled milk will get you nowhere, what matters ultimately is focusing on your end goal and never looking back.

For Evelyn on the other hand, it has been an emotional journey with her business especially with her solely managing the business. She revealed that she has her share of days filled with pressure and stress having to deal with her people and customers as well. Despite this, she imparts how it’s all worth it in the end. “Nakakatuwa din kasi yung tao, sila din yung magpapalakas sa iyo. Pag nakikita mo yung loyalty nila, yun yung mag eencourage sa iyo to go on,” Evelyn said.

WHAT WOULD YOU BE IF YOU WERE YOUR PRODUCT?

To end the lively discussion, Sen. Bam Aquino asked each guest what they would be if they were their own products.

Lydia answered that she would be the ‘Au Naturel’ pili peanuts or the classic plain pili peanuts. “Ready kasing kung anong ilagay mo. Ready to face challenges. I am an action person, I do not wait,” said Lydia.

Josie on the other hand, is mixed nuts. She shared that the feeling you get from the anticipation of getting different kinds of flavors and type of nuts is similar to her attitude in doing business. “Excited kasi ako parati, because nakita naman natin na tatlo na yung concept namin, pag nagcoconceptualize kami energetic ako pag ganon,” Josie said.

These three successful women have different experiences and approaches while pursuing their business ventures. But one thing remains the same, that Filipina women entrepreneurs have the passion and the drive to realize their dreams.

Get to know this year’s set of Inspiring of Filipina Entrepreneurs on March 6 at the 10th Filipina Entrepreneurship Summit, happening at the World Trade Center. For more info., please call (02) 631-5001 or emailfilipinasummit.gonegosyo@gmail.com

On Feruary 14, 2018, Go Negosyo sa Radyo Host DJ Cheska San Diego-Bobadilla and guest co-host Jorge Wieneke III were joined by two couple entrepreneurs, Ofrace and Era Ocampo of Sitsirya Sari-sari and Glen and Majella Villaroman of AccelSPROUT for an episode on successful businesses built on the foundation of love and passion.

Ofrace and Era Ocampo is the couple behind Sitsirya Sari-Sari, a one stop shop that brings the sweetness of Filipino delicacies especially made for the panlasang pinoy. With over 35 years of career in the business industry, and 37 years of marriage, the two shared their journey as a couple who endured through the thick and thin of life.

The business started even before they shared their life as a married couple. It was after 7 months of being unemployed due to the economic meltdown in the country, when Ofrace came to decide that he was going to work abroad. Era went against this decision with the welfare of their 3-year old daughter in mind. It was then that they ventured into entrepreneurship and return to what they know best – food.

Ofrace shared that the challenging years they faced before, only led them to achieve their success today. There will always be a solution no matter how big the problem is, the solution will be bigger. “You only need all the failures plus one to succeed,” Ofrace added.

Glen and Majela Villaroman the couple behind AccelSPROUT, an agricultural business accelerator and consultancy, shared how their love for food led to their passion for agriculture.

Initially, the couple did not have a background in agriculture. They were more well-versed in the food industry, managing a restaurant business in the states. Five years ago, when the couple went back to the Philippines, they noticed the huge difference between the sizes of the produce.

It was through this venture that made them think of developing a more productive agricultural industry in the Philippines through natural farming techniques based on maintaining overall soil health. Through AccelSPROUT, the couple continues to advocate for urban farming, the establishment of more post-harvest facilities and raising awareness to the youth on the profitability and benefits of agriculture.

PARTNERSHIP IN MARRIAGE AND BUSINESS

When asked if there exists a division of labor between tasks in the business, “Sa amin, syempre ang marriage ay partnership yan, dapat based on mutual trust and respect. So may mga panahon na yung isa ang masusunod, may panahon na yung iba,” said Glen.

He emphasized that what matters is that both of you are working towards achieving the same goal, and that is to do the right thing not only for the business but also for each other.

For the Ocampos on other hand, Era explained that there is a division of tasks in their business. Ofrace handles the operations part of the business while she works on the financial aspect. But there secret lies in communication. “Through the years, open ang communication and we support each other,” she shared.

Being in a business with your partner in life can inevitably be challenging with the merging of the two aspects of life. “Yan kasing business namin ay personal. We fell in love with each other, we fell in love with what we do, mahirap po talagang ihiwalay ang dalawa,” said Majella.

This goes the same for the Ocampos, Ofrace believes that a couple’s compatibility is important for a relationship to work both for personal and business. “We support and complement each other and we don’t really find conflicts, as long as you have one mission, vision and values. Compatible lahat yan. Full speed ahead,” said Ofrace.

On February 7, 2018, Go Negosyo sa Radyo host DJ Cheska San Diego-Bobadilla and Sen. Bam Aquino were joined by Go Negosyo Mentor Jenny Wieneke, Giannina Gonzales of Whole Pet Kitchen: Pet Deli and Bark-ery Inc. and Christian John Dela Cruz of BarkPark Ph for a lively discussion on emerging businesses fit for the pet lovers out there.

It’s common knowledge that owning a pet goes beyond the joy and company they bring in one’s life. This entails a whole new wave of responsibilities, coupled with the need to spend extra cash for their overall well-being. For some people, a pet is considered a family, and as one would treat family, pet owners would want only the best for their pets.

In today’s episode, our guests shared how their passion for their pets transformed into ventures that have benefitted other people’s pet as well.

BarkPark Mobile Dog Salon is the brainchild of Christian John Dela Cruz and John Christian Tria’s college thesis as BS Entrepreneurship undergraduates. It is Metro Manila’s first roaming dog salon that provides pets with full grooming services at the comfort of their own homes. Their grooming services range from a minimum of P500 to P850, depending on the size of the dog. This is inclusive of the home service charge and basic grooming services.

Whole Pet Kitchen was born out of Giannina Gonzales’ desire to provide nourishing and delicious treats that pets can enjoy. The business started as a home-base bakery that eventually grew into a little dog café and retail store. They use only the freshest ingredients such as virgin coconut oil, fresh meats, vegetables and supplements to ensure that your pets will get the most out of every bite.

Christian shared how they market their unusual business, given their very specific target market. “Since nag boom yung social media platform, nag invest kami through Facebook promotions,” said Christian.

Facebook’s advertising algorithm that targets specific audience through their liked pages, ensures that the money Christian spends on ads is fully utilized to his target audience.

Currently, Giannina also uses the same marketing strategy to reach her audience. But back in the days when technology was not so prevalent as it is today, she shared that they had to resort to personally reach out to the veterinarians they knew in town.

But although digital marketing works well for them, Giannina still prefers marketing through the word of mouth.

According to Go Negosyo Mentor Jenny Weineke, the reason why there is a sudden rise of pet-related business in the city is the increasing demand of services from pet owners who desire convenience amid their fast pace lifestyles.

Just like in any other business, her advice to pet-related businesses is to really get to know and understand your business.

An offshoot of the Kapatid Mentor Me (KMME) Program, the Kapatid Agri Mentor Me Program (KAMMP) aims to help scale up agri-workers from farmer cooperatives across regions through intensive modules for business and entrepreneurship with the aid of expert agri-business practitioners.

Through the partnership of Go Negosyo and the Department of Agriculture, the program was launched last July 2017 and ran until December 2017. “For 2018, we are targeting about 1,500 cooperatives to undergo the Kapatid Agri-Mentor Me Program,” said Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar. KAMMP, in partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform, was also launched this January which targets Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBO) as their beneficiaries.

In this week’s episode, Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar shared that one of the biggest challenges for smallholder farmers is the lack of knowledge in the subjects of obligations and contracts, new farming technologies and financial management. This in turn can be overcome through the program’s intensive modules for business and entrepreneurship.

She also highlighted that one of the benefits of joining KAMMP is being mentored by Agripreneurs themselves. The knowledge from the experiences of these agripreneurs are easily understood as they are relatable to the farmers. “Agriculture is a great community builder, when you’re able to help the smaller cooperatives to expand and grow they in turn will be able to help small farmers in their area,” Ginggay said.

MORE THAN JUST MENTORING
For KAMMP Mentor Arsenio Barcelona, KAMMP extends beyond being just a mentoring program. He shared how what started as a conversation between Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion and friends led to a family of mentors with a passion to help aspiring agripreneurs.

“When you are a mentor in the Go Negosyo-DA, or the Go Negosyo-DTI program, you are actually also part of a whole family with a strong passion for helping out and teaching and in a way giving back,” Ginggay echoed.

One of the people who have greatly benefited from KAMMP is Elizabeth Canson from Matagob, Leyte. Canson was one of those affected by supertyphoon Yolanda which rendered her farm useless. But what inspired her to seek mentoring are the farmers who were left with nothing. “Naisip ko tulungan yung mga farmers doon, kasi hindi nila alam kung paano sila aangat sa buhay, sinisikap ko na makilala yung mga taong pwede makatulong sa amin,”
she said.

WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR KAMMP
Moving forward, Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar shared the goals of the program this 2018. Modules for the KAMMP program with DA will continue until December while deployment for DA and ATI will be launched on February. Aside from the 1,500 target mentees for the program this year, it will also engage the mentees with money and market partners from Go Negosyo. Hontiveros-Malvar emphasized that aside from mentoring, you must also help them with the linkages between money and market to ensure success.

To know more about the Kapatid Agri Mentor Me Program and how to be a mentee, visit Go Negosyo’s facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/gonegosyoofficial/
###

Ties between Go Negosyo and the Department of Trade and Industry is centered on the current Secretary Ramon Lopez who was the previous Executive Director of Go Negosyo for over a decade. It is no wonder why many programs toward MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) development have flourished nationwide under his term. Today, DTI is lauded as one of the best performing government agencies under Pres. Duterte’s administration.

DTI and Go Negosyo’s joint project called the Kapatid Mentor ME (Micro Entrepreneurs) program, launched in mid-2016, and has already impacted the lives of thousands of Filipinos nationwide. “KMME has already had 121 sessions in all the cities, provinces, and regions in the country. 19,853 MSMEs were able to attend the Mentor Me Program,” said Asec. Bles Lantayona.

Asec. Bles said that one of the biggest factors that has allowed the department to nationally scale the program were the emergence of hundreds of Negosyo Centers in almost every community in the Philippines. As of their last count, 774 branches have already been established nationwide. The centers have allowed DTI to bring their programs to Filipinos all over, at a faster and more efficient rate.

One of the people who has greatly benefited from the KMME program and Negosyo Centers is KMME Mentee Jolo Quiaonza of Laguna. “When I failed in my first business, I was wondering why I failed. The KMME program answered a lot of my questions and showed me why I initially failed. It taught me about the market, finance and product development,” Jolo shared.

Jolo’s mentor Clarke Nebrao attested to Jolo’s growth under the program. He shared that the first iteration of Jolo’s product—flavored leche flan—although unique, was too sweet and lacked branding and proper packaging. Under the KMME Program, Jolo’s product began to flourish and is now recognized by many in trade fairs. “Exposure was one of the most helpful things DTI provided,” Jolo said.

For Clarke, the KMME progam goes beyond the 12-weeks of intensive modules. He shares that a business community is formed around the program and centers where entrepreneurs become empowered because they now have a place for support and knowledge. “Mentees continually connect with their mentors. There is a support group and many entrepreneurs are becoming more empowered.”

Charlene Bunbun, a Business Counselor stationed in the Negosyo Center in Laguna, shares that the KMME program is not the only reason why you should go to your local center. Charlene shares that counselors like her help many entrepreneurs find the right services and information to help them with their business. In fact, Charlene first helped Jolo with his business, when the latter only had a DTI registration for his business. She helped him to register his business all the way up to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and is now helping him get his business—Spoonful Desserts—officially trademarked.

Something Charlene wants a lot of entrepreneurs to know is that the government is also working on providing many Filipinos with financial aid services aside from the mentoring and technical assistance programs in place. The Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pagaasenso will be available in Negosyo Centers nationwide and aims to replace the illegal five-six lending scheme to help Filipinos access legal financial solutions that leave them with copious amounts of debt.

Moving forward, Asec. Bles also shared that DTI has gotten the support of the government to expand the Shared Service Facilities (SSF) program. From a budget of 200 million in the previous year, the program has now acquired a whopping 1 billion in budget for the department to expand its facilities nationwide. Many more programs and trainings will also be provided by DTI through the negosyo centers and a new program focused on youth entrepreneurship and product development will soon launch.

On January 17, 2018, Go Negosyo sa Radyo hosts Sen. Bam Aquino & DJ Cheska San Diego-Bobadilla were joined by Go Negosyo Angelpreneurs Mon “The Tax Whiz” Abrea and Eric Caeg in a discussion about the effects of the Tax Reform Act on Filipinos.

Many Filipinos fear the new tax reforms are just a way to make their lives harder. However, as Mon Abrea puts it, the tax reform has been long overdue in order to update our tax system. Passing the bill into a law was a tedious task however, implementing the various components of the act is a little more complicated.

Above min. wage earners, get biggest benefit

Those earning minimum wage and below were already exempted from tax in previous system. However, those earning above the minimum wage have long argued that it has been difficult to prosper in the past because of the big cut tax gets from their income.

Now, with the adjusted tax brackets, many of those who are earning above minimum wage up to those earning 8 million a year, or the “ultra-rich,” will see that they will ultimately be able to take home more of their income. For example, those earning Php 21,000 as their monthly salary can expect to take home almost their entire paycheck (save for fees for services like PhilHealth).

Excise tax to go to gov’t infra projects

A big complaint of many Filipinos regarding the tax reform is the higher prices on gas, sweetened beverages, cigarettes and coal. For gas and coal, the increase on their prices also have very real implications on the price of electricity and other goods due to their effect on manufacturing.

However, Mon said that these increases are necessary in order to fund the government’s Build, build, build project and for the mitigating costs of implementing the reforms.

In order to ensure that the common Filipino and the poor don’t bear the brunt of these price increases, the government is working on subsidies in order to tide them over such as conditional-cash transfers. Also, many are putting pressure on employers to already implement the adjusted tax bracketing system, and for negosyantes not to take advantage of the tax increase by doubling the prices of their products.

Benefits for businesses

Many employers notice that many Filipinos no longer like getting promoted or regularized because of the harsh working conditions and little take home pay. According to Eric Caeg, it is possible that due to the adjusted tax bracket and increase in the take home pay of many, more Filipinos will be encouraged to take on promotions and be regularized. And a happy workforce is always good for any business.

Another sector that will benefit are those who are self-employed—freelancers, artists, lawyers, etc. They will be under the group who will have a withholding tax rate of 8% which they can file yearly or quarterly. The process will be made even easier through the tax whiz app launching soon wherein the filing process can be done entirely online!

For the third year in a row, Go Negosyo sa Radyo hosted by Sen. Bam Aquino & DJ Cheska San Diego-Bobadilla were joined by Motivational Speaker and Go Negosyo Angelpreneur Mr. Paolo “EntrepChamp” Tibig for one of the most anticipated episodes yearly. As best-selling author of Strategies of a Champion Entrepreneur, Mr. Tibig knows a thing or two (more like ten) about the business industry and what type of industries are on the rise.

So here’s the definitive list of the 10 BUSINESS IDEAS for 2018 for those aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their first venture, or for veterans who are seeking to expand their businesses further (lifted directly with some edits from http://www.paulotibig.com.ph/):

1. M-COMMERCEThis is very consistent and relevant to “Convenience Concept” where you bring goods/services right in your doorstep. This business will continue to grow year in, year out.

M-Commerces is the buying and selling of products and services thru wireless handheld devices such as mobile phones and tablets. It’s the next generation E-Commerce that enables the user to access the internet without needing to find a place to plug-in. In other words, sooner, we will see businesses more on our mobile phones, in our fingerprints and pockets.

Disruption Eruption – Industries that have been disrupted already (Transport, Consumer, Logistics etc.) and so we will see each other industries that will be disrupted too.

2. CAR, CAR CARE AWAYThe perennial problem in mass transport have given “ride-sharing system” rise in recent years. More than 100,000 units of Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) and thousands more new vehicles are on the road. Car care business may be for you.

5) TREASURES OF THE PROVINCESMore than ever, it’s MSME’s turn to hit big! Thanks to the present administration’s thrust of helping and promoting micro entrepreneurs with DTI at the helm, DOST, DA and so many agencies are also helping out. Negosyo centers provide mentoring from product development branding, marketing to business matching.

6) BUILD ME UP, CONSTRUCTION UP!Horizontal and vertical projects are literally mushrooming not just in GMA but, all over the country. This particular business, while traditional is always in demand specially when the country’s Build, build build infrastructure program takes off.

7) TOURISM RELATED BUSINESSESAccess to traveling is now more convenient as airlines lower their fares with more destinations and routes. New means such as RORO (roll-on, roll-off) and new road infrastructures landing to more tourist spots.

Local government units (LGUs) also pursue campaigns to promote their local tourism & products. So do not discount local tourists from the equation!

With more than 70M domestic trips and 6M foreign tourist arrivals last year, tourism is expected to increase this 2018.

8) TLC (TUBIG (WATER REFILLING), LAUNDRY, CLEANING SERVICES)Lately, we see condominiums and residential townhouses all over making TLC businesses integral in any new communities. Even coin-operated laundry services are now available for busy people like you!

9) HEALTHY WEALTHYFilipinos now are more cautious in the food they eat and conscious on their well-being. 6 out 10 Filipinos are willing to pay for quality food since they were “very particular about what they put in their bodies” paving the way for huge income potential.

10) OUTSOURCE AND BE YOUR SOURCEMost companies realized the benefits of outsourcing their business operations. Outsourcing provides greater productivity and lesser operational expenses. Aside from manpower, many business services are now being outsourced.

Kicking of 2018, Go Negosyo sa Radyo hosts Sen. Bam Aquino & DJ Cheska San Diego-Bobadilla were joined by regular guest and Go Negosyo Angelpreneur Mr. Armand Bengco for an episode tackling a most relevant topic during cusp of a brand new year — resolutions!

At the beginning of each year, many people all over the world are filled with the optimism and drive to change and grow in order to better themselves. Oftentimes, new year resolutions fall under the physical (I will lose weight this year!), professional (I will get a promotion!), social (I will make an effort to meet new people!), spiritual (I will pray more!) health (I will stop smoking!), and relationships (I will not be single!). But Mr. Bengco insists that financial resolutions are equally, if not, more important as they immediately affect us and our well-being. Other resolutions take a long time while financial resolutions have immediate results or consequences that compound throughout the year.

Thus, Mr. Bengco asks us: what will you stop, start, and continue (SSC) in terms of managing your finances?

To guide many of us financially confused citizens of the Philippines, Mr. Bengco gave us his five personal financial resolutions that can get us on the road to a most prosperous 2018:

1. Follow your money
Mr. Bengco says that tracking your money is essential to knowing how to save, spend and invest! An important step during the new year is to PLAN and write down your goals. According to Mr. Bengco, if you don’t write them down, they are simply dreams and not plans.

For the first 100 days of the year, continue your regular spending and saving habits BUT get into the more important habit of RECORDING YOUR ACTIVITIES. After which, you may label your expenses weekly and see which ones fall under the following categories: must have, better to have, like to have.

In the first few months, recording and labelling your expenses will give you a clearer picture on what you are prioritizing this gives way for the second financial resolution. (If you hate writing, there are many apps available today that make tracking your expenses easier!)

2. Reduce or eliminate expenses
Once you begin recording how you are spending your money, you may also start seeing how you are overspending. An example Mr. Bengco gave is on coffee. Many Filipinos are spending regularly on expensive coffee joints such as Starbucks. And one can argue that they NEED coffee to properly function. However, do they really NEED to spend in expensive places such as Startbucks or Coffee Bean to get their coffee fix?

One such way to reduce your expenses given this example is to put a limit on how much you spend for something. In Mr. Bengco’s case, his family decided to lessen their consumption of Starbucks coffee from 5,000- 8,000 pesos a month to only 2,000 pesos a month. Furthermore, they found alternatives to expensive coffee such as seeking out local and equally good coffee joints and investing on devices that allows them to make their own great coffee at home.

This example shows us that we do not have to completely sacrifice our “like to have” in order to reduce our expenses and save money.

3. Be active in the financial world
Being active in the financial world opens up a lot of financial opportunities for Filipinos. In Mr. Bengco’s words we must get into the “winning experiences.” For example, setting up your OWN bank account wherein you may put in your savings, allows your money to earn interest versus allowing it sit in a payroll account where no interest is earned. A better winning experience is learning where and how to invest your money. Although saving your money in banks allows it to earn interest, the growth is rather small and and slow. By learning how to invest, money you set aside to SAVE can compound and grow exponentially over the time. However, one must be involved in their investments so as to manage risks well.

4. Set PTT (Purpose, Target, Timeline)
Aligned with the third resolution, Mr. Bengco posits that Filipinos must also learn how to set their Purpose, Target and Timeline. In the case of investing, Filipinos should first set their purpose, create a target, and establish a timeline. For example, if you are investing 1,000 monthly in a mutual fund so you can earn 400,000 in 10 years, track whether the fund is actually getting you to reach that goal. If not, adjust and find where else to put your money in.

In the case of paying off debts, Mr. Bengco also proposes the same formula. Filipinos often have multiple streams of loans they have to pay-off, thus Mr. Bengco says planning is also essential. For example, if you have six debts, pay-off first the one you can finish faster irregardless of the interest. In this way, you lessen the number of debts you had, and the institution that gave you the loan you were able to pay-off may be able to give you another loan that can help you pay-off your other debts!

5. Get into the wonders of sharing
This final resolution may have to do less with technical formulas of how to save, invest and spend and more on returns that truly matter in the long run. Mr. Bengco borrowed words which said “no one is too rich not to care, no one is too rich not to share,” meaning even if we are cash strapped, there is always an opportunity to help our community. There are three ways one may share and that is through time, talent and treasure. And what Mr. Bengco has found is that when you serve your community well, your community will reward you naturally with profit. In other words, sharing is a form of giving that will only makes us richer in a multitude of ways.

On December 13, 2017, Go Negosyo Radio hosts DJ Cheska San Diego-Bobadilla was joined by Rica De Ramos (Co Founder, Hue Love Prints), Ramil Mendoza (Co-Owner, Unit16sweets) and Marievic Bonoan (Assistant Director, Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion) for an episode discussing great local products to check out this holiday season.

Marieivic Bonoan was the episode’s first guest who talked about the Department of Trade and Industry’s program called Go Lokal.

Go Lokal is a retail concept store showcasing quality and innovative philippine products crafted, designed, and produced by the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises. It is an excellent marketing avenue provided for free by the DTI and its retail partners for MSME incubation, marketing, and branding. By offering only products of quality, unique design and compelling narratives, Go Lokal aims to inspire our entrepreneurs to level up and meet global standards. It is likewise a vehicle to discover emerging suppliers and new products with high market potential.

Marievic shared that through Go Lokal, many micro and small entrepreneurs are afforded the opportunity of reaching the mainstream market—something that would be quite difficult if they did it on their own. She shares that listing and placement fees for any product found in supermarkets or department stores could reach from five to six figures which would be too high for our micro and small entrepreneurs.

Aside from providing these entrepreneurs to a steady mainstream market, the process of getting to these shelves provided by DTI is invaluable. “First step is to go to your local negosyo center – all towns and provinces have one (…) the center will help you in every step of the way.” From getting your business registered, to marketing, planning and distribution, DTI helps these entrepreneurs fast track their business, acting as mentors, incubators and market providers.

As Go Lokal stocks the best from their trade fairs and products that are of quality and deliver consistently, customers who encounters their many kiosks or stores are treated to a microcosm of the Philippines’ entrepreneurial scene. Coffee from the mountains, chocolates from Mindanao, shoes and bags made from indigenous fabrics and crafted by Marikina’s artisans, and even innovative products such as a seaweed facial wash.

The second guest is Co-Founder Rica from Hue Love Prints—a small local business which is perfect for gift giving. Hue Love Prints offers a bevy of practical products (i.e. note pads, bag tags, note cards, and pouches) in hundreds of colorful designs and prints. They are made to order so each customer will be sure that what they ask for is exactly what they will get.

Rica shares that her and partner started the business when they were searching for colorful and practical products for gifts. When they saw that there was a gap in the market, they began producing themselves. The road to being the company they are today wasn’t free of challenges of course. She shares that producing the product from end-to-end on their own was too tedious and would eat up there time in producing designs. In order to fast track their production, Hue Love Prints decided to outsource for services like special and quality printing so that they can focus on designing.

The third and final guest is Ramil Mendoza, the Co-Owner of Unit16sweets. Ramil’s business started as a small project with his partner where they put together what they found from different suppliers and sold it to their friends. What emerged was an innovative personalized chocolate business, that can be seen in birthdays, corporate events and weddings. What sets Unit16sweets apart from other chocolate businesses, is aside from offering chocolate bars with a range of flavors (from chili chocolate to sea salt), they also offer personalization of packaging and size, so that people are treated to something sweet & unique, both on the inside and outside of the product.

Unit16sweets has also had their fair share of challenges according Ramil. Because their product is customizable, it’s sometimes hard to translate a customer’s idea into the design of the product. It’s also difficult when many see the business as something like a convenience store. “Design really takes time,” Ramil said. However, he said the key is to just keep smiling and try their best to accommodate and work with the customer. After all, chocolate is a very happy and festive business to be in.